Silent Night
by HisNameIsPeter
Summary: Booth and Brennan put aside their current case to enjoy time together for Christmas. Written for the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. EXTREME FLUFFINESS ALERT!


**Hello Bones fans! Here is a fluffy story about Booth and Brennan doing one of my favorite Christmas traditions; critiquing Christmas lights! This is written for the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. If you don't know what that is, please check my profile and look for the bold type.**

**Standard Disclaimer: Don't own Bones. Or Peanuts. Or anything that you may recognize. But, I did give in to my two cats who were politely asking for treats (over and over and over again).**

**Happy Holidays!**

**-HisNameIsPeter**

"Booth, I have to get back to the lab to work on this case!"

Temperance Brennan shoved her partner and tried to unlatch her seat belt.

"Bones, Bones!" Seeley Booth tried to tame his struggling wife.

"Bones, listen to me. We'll go back and work on the case in a few days."

"A few days!" she screeched.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Bones."

She slumped in her seat and allowed Booth to lock his keys into the ignition. He slowly pulled out of the Jeffersonian parking lot and onto the highway.

"Christmas isn't about dead stuff, Bones."

"It's not about Jesus either."

Booth frowned. "Different people believe in different things. The point is, I'm not going to let the stress of this case get in the way of us having a happy Christmas."

"That's really sweet, Booth. I just –" she grimaced. "I really wanted to solve this murder so that the deceased man's family could have peace on Christmas."

Booth smiled at his wife. "You're so kind, Bones. And beautiful."

She straightened in her chair. "No need to sweet talk me."

Booth turned the corner into an unfamiliar street.

"Where are we going?"

Booth got a mischievous look in his eyes. "We're going to do your favorite holiday tradition."

"How can we bake cookies in a car, Booth?"

"Not that." He replied.

Brennan frowned. "Singing carols?"

"Nope."

"Cutting down a tree."

"We've already done that." Booth pointed out. "We are going to survey other people's -"

"Christmas lights!" Brennan shouted and she started laughing. Booth smiled as they pulled past a row of houses.

"Look out ahead!" Brennan shouted. "That looks like a gingerbread house."

She pointed to a house with red and white striped lights lining the yard and roof.

"It's kind of cute. But, only white lights can go on the outside."

"Whoa, Bones." Booth gaped. "No colorful flashing lights outside?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Of course not!"

Booth raised his eyebrows and drove on.

"That one's nice. I like the deer, but I think that the right-most one is crooked."

"Gee Bones, you're picky! Now that is a fun house!"

Booth gestured out the window to a house with purple, blue, green, red, white, and orange flashing icicle lights and a ginormous blow up Santa.

"That is slightly painful to look at." Brennan commented.

"C'mon, we need a blowup for our yard!"

"No way. I don't want our place looking like someone barfed Christmas."

"You have no fun."

Booth pulled down another street where very few Christmas lights had been put up.

"These people are lame." Booth grumbled. "They have ruined Christmas."

Brennan laughed. "Well that house has ruined Christmas in a different way. They need to pick a theme. Manger scene, Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, The Grinch, and the Nutcracker all at once? And who even are those fat people?"

"Bones, they're the Peanuts!"

"The who?"

Booth rolled his eyes. "Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus, Schroeder, Lucy, Sally, Pigpen-"

"I don't know what that means." She cut him off.

"We need to have a serious chat about your pop culture education."

Brennan frowned as Booth turned the corner to flashing blue lights.

"That hurts my eyes. It doesn't even make sense!" Brennan shook her head in disappointment. "Don't these people that know that colored lights go on the inside and flashing lights go nowhere at all?"

Booth smirked. "Well, not everyone is as educated as you."

"That's right." She turned to Booth who was chuckling. "You're mocking me!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

Am not!"

"Are too!"

"What about that Bones?"

Brennan peered out to a brick house with spiral trees, white lights in the bushed, and icicle lights on the porch roof. Wreaths hovered in the windows where a colored Christmas tree could be seen.

"I can live with that."

The couple drove in silence mostly, pointing out several interesting light shows that they passed. The rest of the time, they sat quietly admiring the different portrayals of Christmas spirit. The year had been a busy one for all of them, and it was nice to take a moment to relax and enjoy one another's company.

"Bones," Booth broke the silence. "It just want to say that I think that we make a great team. I'm proud to be your partner."

Neither of them said anything.

"Bones?"

Booth looked over at his wife. Brennan had tucked her legs on the chair and had rested her head on the window sill. Her eyes were closed. It seemed as though all of her late nights at the lab had caught up to her and she was treating herself to some well-deserved rest.

"Merry Christmas, Bones."

Booth leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Sleep in heavenly peace."

Booth rode the rest of the way home in pleasant silence.


End file.
